Travel can be exciting, fun and it’s supposed to broaden the mind too. Over 41.7 million Americans agree. That’s how many U.S. citizens traveled abroad in 2018.
If you’re about to travel out of the country, you need some tips that can help make it an experience to remember. Read on to learn how to plan an international trip.
How to Plan an International Trip
Like many things in life, a successful international trip takes planning. Treat it like a project and your careful preparation will make your trip of a lifetime a wonderful experience and not a chaotic disaster.
Use a simple planning tool such as timeline creator to visualize your itinerary. It makes it easy to check where you are meant to be at any time.
Research
There are some dull and serious things you need to do before the holiday fun starts. Check out the safety and security of your trip. The government publishes travel advisory and alerts about any countries where there are risks.
You should check the published information about the countries you will be visiting. Check entry and exit requirements and any visa requirements. Do this as soon as possible to resolve any issue as it can take some time.
Check local customs, laws, medical facilities and transport arrangements. Take a note of the U.S. embassy or consulate address and telephone number.
Check any vaccination requirements or other health risks. Get vaccinations organized in plenty of time.
Money Preparation
Let your bank know that you will be taking a trip. This will make it less likely that they will block your card thinking that it may be stolen. While you are doing this, check how best to obtain local currency, use credit or debit cards and use ATMs in your destination country.
Prepare Documents
Just to be safe, make a couple of copies of your travel documents in case of theft or loss. Take one set with you but keep it apart from the originals. Leave the other set at home with a friend.
Obtain a passport. It might take several months to get one so plan ahead. If you already have a passport many countries require the passport to be valid for more than six months after your return and have two or more unstamped pages remaining in it.
Some countries require a visa. See the U.S. government travel advisory to check this. If you need a visa, contact the embassy of the country you are visiting for details about how to obtain one.
Medication
Not all countries share U.S. regulations about medications. If you are taking prescriptions drugs abroad you should check that they are permissible in the countries you are visiting. You may need some documentation to take with the drugs.
Driving
Driving abroad can be a challenge. Not all countries drive on the same side of the road or have the driver’s position on the left side of the vehicle. This can take some adaptation.
Some countries do not accept a U.S. driver’s license. Check if you need an International Driving Permit. When renting a car, check the insurance cover you get thoroughly before you travel to avoid expensive surprises.
Plan for Fun
Planning well can reduce mishaps and distractions from the enjoyment of your trip. It leaves you free from travel anxiety. Now you know how to plan an international trip, you can plan to have fun.
Keep browsing our site for more exciting travel tips.